Artificial honeycomb and the art of and means for making the same



v G: M. MAcDONALD.

ARTIFICIAL HONEYCOMB AND THE ART OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILEQ .lULY 19,1920. 1,383,650.-

A Inf/6221 02 UNETEE STATES Parent negates.

GEORGE M. MACDONALD, OF SAN IBERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.

ARTIFICIAL I-IONEYCOMB AND THE ART OF AND MEANS roe MAKING THE sAivrn- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 5, 1921,

Application filed July 19, 1920. Serial No. 397,429.

T 0 all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE M. MAG- DONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Honeycombs and the Art of and Means for Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements upon and in the art of making the type of honeycomb described in my previous Patent No. 1,224,47 9, issued lllay 1, 1917.

This type of honeycomb is composed-0f a plurality of superimposed thin strips, each bein crim 36d to form a seriesof transverse c 1 y grooves alternately arranged upon opposlte sides of the strip and extending outwardly elements may be most cheaply constructed and quickly, accurately and rigidly assembled. It also provides all of the advantages pointed out in the above mentioned previous patent, viz, an indestructible honeycomb which may be used a great many times,'and from which the honey may be easily extracted by centrifugal or other means and which may be easily and thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, which is especially desirable. in

case it becomes infected, infested or dis-' material; the strips being joined one to the The invention comprises the ribbon, and the combination by which the comb isformed.

eased as sometimes happens.

The device is further provided withother Each of these grooves forms a The ribbon may be'of any suitable matei rial adapted to the purpose and which will not be obnoxious or repellant to the bees. At present I make said ribbon of very thin sheet aluminum but I do not limit myself to theuseof aluminumor other metal.

Other objects, advantages and features of The accompanying drawing illustrates the V invention. 7

Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a honeycomb constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of a .portion of the crimpe'd metallic ribbon which forms-the cells.

Fig.3 is an enlarged :fragmental perspective of'sai'd crimped ribbon bent upon itself to form substantially two superimposed strips, semi-cells of one strip registering withsemi-cells of the other to form complete cells. I I i e Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 00 w Fig. 3, showing more particularly the burs and binding rod or wire.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental longitudinal midsection of a ribbon and comprises parts of three strips before the ribbon is folded.

1 represents the frame, rectangular in shape and preferably made of wood, projectpreferably made .of very thin. sheet aluminum or other suitable materi al are formed lntegrally of a continuous ribbon of such other, end to end, by flat uncrimped bent portions i of the material.

Each strip is crimped to'form transverse grooves 5 alternately disposed'upon opposite sides of the strip and alternately arranged upon opposite sides of'thelongitudinal axis thereof. Each groove so formed constitutes a semi-cell, preferably semi-hexagonal in shape, being open at the ends at the edges of the strips and practically closed at their bottom at the center of the strips by the wall 6 formed of the material of the strips. V

The ribbon is provided at the junctions of the strips; that is to say, at the middles of the uncrimped portions 4;, respectively, with narrow transverse slots at, the walls Z) of which slots extend in the form of burs projecting from the faces of the ribbon, first on one side and then on the other; the ribbon being continuous and unbroken from end to end; there being integral marginal portions 0, of the ribbon between the ribbon edges and the ends of said slots.

The narrow slots (4 serve to locate and determine the line of the bend d and the projecting burs serve to maintain the ribbon unrumpled.

The strips are superimposed within the frai e by folding the ribbon at the middles of the blank spaces a and extending-the strips, one upon the. other, from edge to edge of the frame and when so superim-' posed the semi-cells of the strips respectively register with those of adjacent strips and form complete hexagonal cells'open at the edges of the strips and practically closed at the center of the strips.

The strips are held in proper relative position and retained within the frame by wires 7 which extend through holes 8 in the strips and also through holes 8, 8 in the bottom and top members of the frame, the ends 7,

7" of the wires being bent into recesses 9,

9 in the frame to hold said wires in place. The holes 8 are preferably punched in the strips at the time they are crimped and are similarly located in each strip relative to its ends and grooves so that when they are caused to register in arranging the strips, the semi-cells will also accurately register with each other.

The holes 8 for each strip are punched from the side of the ribbon opposite that from which the holes for the adjoining strips are punched. This is done before the ribbon is folded to form the superimposed strips so that the burs 10 formed by punching the holes will extend from opposite side. of successive strips respectively before the ribbon is folded; and after the ribbon is folded and the strip are superimposed upon each other, said burs will all extend in the ing caught upon the burs; after which the end is bent as shown.

It will be seen that the strips can be rap-- idly formed of a continuous ribbon of the requisite material by passing it between die rollers or like means which will crimp and punch it as hereinbefore described. The wooden frames are cheaply constructed and the strips may be quickly folded at the blank portions 42 and placed in superimposed relation in the frame, the semi-cells being accurately registered by passing the-wires through the holes 8; the wires also binding the superimposed strips together and holding them in the frame.

A suflicient number of the strips will be placed in each frame to completely fill the space between the top and bottom members thereof, being thus pressed and held in close contact nd not requiring anyother joining means.

The honeycomb thus formed is dipped into melted wax which forms a coating on the walls of the cells and itis then hung by its projecting lugs 2 in the bee-hive to be filled with honey by the bees; after which the comb may be removed from the hive and the honey expelled by centrifugal or other means, and other wax coating applied and the honeycomb replaced 1n the hive to be transverse ooves and uncrimped portions of the material between each two crimped strips; said ribbon belng folded with the strips superimposed upon each other and the grooves of each strip in register with similar grooves in ad acent strips to form cells.

plurality of strips formed integrally of a continuous ribbon of sheet material crimped to fornrtransverse grooves alternately disposed on opposite sides'of the strips and alternately extending from each side of the longitudinal center of the strip; said grooves being open at the edges of the strips and practically closed at the center thereof;

there being uncrimped portions of the material between andv oining each two strips and folded so thatthe strips are superimposed upon each other and the grooves of frame; a plurality of strips formed integrally end to end of a continuous'ribbon of sheet material folded so that the strips are superimposed upon each other; said strips in closely related superimposed po-' sition in said frame.

5. An artificial honeycombcomprising a plurality of strips formed integrally end to end of a continuous ribbon of sheet material folded to superimposed positions relative to each other, said strips respectively having grooves to register with similar grooves in adjacent strips to form cells; said strips also having holes located similarly in each strip relative to its ends and grooves, and rods extending through said holes tobind the strips in superimposed relation and to register the grooves.

6. An artificial honeycomb comprising a frame, a plurality of strips integrally formed end to end and folded to superimposed positions relative to each other; said strips having grooves to register with similar grooves in adjacent strips to form cells and said strips also having holes located similarly in each strip relative to its ends and grooves; and wires extending through holes in said frame and through the holes in the strips tohold the strips in superimposed relation in the frame and to register the grooves with each other. I

7 An artificial honeycomb comprising a plurality of strips integrally formed end to end and adapted to be folded at the juncture between their ends to assume superimposed positions relative to each other; said strips having grooves to register with similar grooves in adjacent strips to form cells, and said strips also having holes punched and located similarly in each strip relative to its ends and grooves; the burs formed by punching said holes occurring alternately on opposite sides of each successive strip-before the strips are folded, and

all extending in one direction when the strips are folded and superimposed; and wires extending through said holes to bind the strips in superimposed relation and to register the grooves with each other.

8. An artificial honeycomb comprising a frame, a plurality of elongated strips integrally formed end to end of sheet material and crimped to form transverse grooves alternately disposed upon opposite sides of the strips and alternately extending from oppo-' site sides of the longitudinal center, being open at the edges of the strips and practically closed at the center thereof; said strips also having holes punched and similarly located ineach strip relative to its ends and grooves, and the burs formed by punching said holes occurring" alternately on opposite sides of each successive strip before the ribbon is folded, and all extending in one direction after the ribbon is folded and superimposed; there being uncrimped portions at the ends of the strips so that the strips are superimposed on each other and the grooves of said strip register with similar grooves in adjacent strips to form cells; and wires extending through holesin the frame and through the holes in the strips to hold the strips in superimposed relation in the frame and to register the grooves with each other.

9. The method set forth of making metallic honeycomb which consists in crimping a metallic ribbon to form a series of semi-cell crimps in pro-determined lengths with blank spaces between said series; then punching the crimped spaces alternately, one series being punched in one direction and the next series in the other direction,- so that the burs formed by the punch will. be reversely ar- 10. A ribbon of material adapted to form i an artificial honeycomb crimped to form transverse grooves alternately disposed upon opposite sides to form semi-cells open at the edges of the strips and practically closed at the center of the strips by walls formed of the material of the strips; said ribbon being provided with uncrimped portions with narrow transverse slots to locate bends whereby the strips may be accurately brought together to cause the .erimps to register to form complete cells.

11. A ribbon of material adapted to form an artificial honeycomb crimped to form transverse grooves alternately disposed upon opposite sides to form semi-cells open at the edges of the strips and practically closed at the center ofthe strips by walls formed of the material of the strips; said ribbon being provided 'with uncrimped portions with narrow transverse slots to locate bands whereby the strips may be accurately brought together to cause the crimps to registerto form complete cells; said slots being formed with burs which give rigidity to the ribbon so that the ribbon will not be crimped by the operation of bending the forming the honeycomb; said slots having burs adapted to prevent crimping of the ribbon during the process of bending.

14. A ribbon erimped to form a honeycomb structure and provided with transverse slots adapted and arranged to facilitate bending the ribbon in the process of forming the honeycomb; said slots having burs extending transversely of the ribbon, upon that side of said ribbon which will be out 10 side when the ribbon is bent to form the honeycomb.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my 12th day of July, 1920.

GEORGE M. MAQDONALD. Witness:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND.

hand at Los Angeles, California, this 

